Spring cover



SPRING COVER Filed OCb. 8, 1925 a lf.

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Patented Dec. 24, '1929 stares PATENT' OFFECF.

- ADEIA E. BLANCHARD, OF TA'MPA, FLORIDA SPRING COVER .AppIicaton filed October 8, 1925. Serial No. 61,214.

Y The invention has for an object to improve vboots or covers for springs for attainment of greater length of service therefrom, to improve their functions, and also to reduce the frequency with which lubricant requires to be renewed therein.

lt is an important attainment of this invention that it enables the production of a boot body in one piece without the use of any seams. ln addition, the use of stitching has been entirely eliminated, which is notable and very valuable as it is well known that stitching in such appliances is subject to rapid deterioration, and is responsible usually for the failure of the boot when it has to finally be discarded. At the same time l retain the advantages of added strength from inturned and doubled edges, with certain additional advantages. Thus, by the use of eyelets or other lacing or fastening elements located at proper intervals I hold the double thicknesses in proper form, as well as secure such separatepieces together as may require in it the formation of dams, as will be explained. l also secure a iiap valve function or damming of grease against access to the opening of the boot by leaving the int-urnedreinforcing edge unstitched so that it will be forced down upon the material thereunder by any grease which tends to pass.

I have also presented a dam piece which has a triple function in preventing escape of grease at the ends of the boot, and this is of particular importance in view of the fact that in the action of springs within such boots it has been found that there is a powerful action tending to force the grease outward from the outerend of a boot. rlhere are special advantages inthe fact that my dam operates with a liap valve effect in both directions, preventing egress of grease, as well as stopping ingress of water and mud, and in addition functions to effect a secure junction between the dam material and the edge of the boot material without the use` of stitching or other seam or fastening together of the intermediate edge portions along the dam.

In prior devices it has been a serious obF jection that the spring clips or clamps by which the leaves are held in alinement quickly wear holes in the boots and the grease contained in the boot is quickly lost and wasted by escaping through the holes thus worn admitting also water and dirt. l have provided a Constr ction by which this is eliminated, and in particular have evolved a novel forniation and method of manufacturing an auxiliary cap for covering the angular projections of the clips.

Additional objects, advantages and features of inventionreside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a bottom view of the cover opened flat.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the invention in use upon a spring.

Figure 3 is a bottom view thereof.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4 -4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 0f Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section across the end edge of the cover.

Figure 7 is a detail of the cap as initially formed.

Figure 8 is an inverted plan of the blank or pattern for the major part of the boot.

Figure 9 is a cross section on the line 9 9 of Figure l.

Figure l0 illustrates the manner of forming the cap 25 for application.

Figure 11 illustrates a stage of the application of the boot to a spring.

rlhere is illustrated a cover -or boot 10 formed preferably of a closely woven fabric having a coating on one side impregnable to water, greases or oils such as is customarily employed in holding lubricant` for moving parts of vehicles, it being customary to use as the fabric one of the so-called imitation leathers, which are well known on the market. The blank for the boot body is formed as shown in Figure 8, being substantially in the form of a truncated triangular sheet, the narrower end of which forms the outer end of the boot. A wide Hap ll is formed along one edge u ually about three inches in breadth for springs from one and a half to two inches in breadth. Along the opposite longitudinal edge a Hap 12 about one inch wide is formed, while on the respective ends similar flaps 13 and 14 are formed as shown in Figures o and 8. The latter are each turned in to lie close against the body of the boot, and the flap 12 is turned in similarly, overlapping the adj a- Cent ends of the end flaps, so that eyelets 15 may be engaged commonly through the overlapped portions and the body portion of the boot thereunder to retain them all securely in place, in addition to use for lacing, as will be explained. Similar eyelets are engaged through the flap 12 and underlying portion of the body of the blank at suitable intervals throughout the length of the boot, and close to the fold of the flap 12, leaving a substantial edge portion of the flap extending inwardly from the line of eyelets. The flap 11I is similarly folded inward and eyelets engaged therethrough and through the immediately underlying end portions of the naps 13 and 14 and the body of the blank close to the fold, eyelets being also provided throughout the length of the fold spaced as are those in the flap 12. The flaps are all folded toward the uncoated side of the fabric, which forms the inner side of the boot.

At the same time that the end flaps 13 and 14 are turned in and secured at their ends, respect-ive dam strips 16 and 17 are incorporated, to be secured by the same eyelets that are engaged through the overlapped ends of the flaps. Each of these dams 16 and 17 consists of a strip of fabric having two longitudinal folds so that they are Z-shaped in cross section. In manufacture, one longitudinal edge 19 of the dam is laid in the fold within the inturned end flap (13 or 14 as the case may be) of the boot body before the side flaps,

11 and 12 are turned in and secured, the inter mediate portion 20 of the dam being laid outward snugly over the end flap, and then the remaining longitudinal edge portion 21 of the dam turned inwardly co-eXtensive with the part 20. After adjustment of the dams in proper position on the respective end flaps, the flaps 11 and 12 are then folded in upon the dam ends and the ends of the dams secured by respective eyelets which hold the side and end iaps.

In the application of the boot to the spring, apertures are cut in the boot at 22 (Figure 4) to receive the ends of the spring clip, but a piece of felt 23 is first laid over the clip, so that a darn is formed to prevent escape of grease there. rI`his further facilitates the snug fitting of a one-piece boot to the entire spring. To cover the openings for the clip in the boot, I have provided a small cap 25 (Figure 7) for each clip. This cap is peculiarly formed without the use of any stitching. It consists of a simple oblong rectangular piece of the saine kind of goods from which the boot is made folded inward at each side to lay one side portion 29 over the other side portion 30 to a width equallingthe middle portion 31 thereunder, the coated side being within. While these parts are held flat as thus folded, an eyelet 32 is engaged through the three thicknesses of the goods in the piece close to each end. The cap is then turned inside out by pulling laterally apart the intermediate overlapped side portions and thrusting as much as possible of the middle part outward therebetween (see Figure 10). The eyeleted end portions resist this turning of the piece so that it finally assumes the caplike formation shown in Figure 2. It has the further advantage that when the ends are drawn downward on each side of a spring, the edge portions of the Vcap throughout their lengths press firmly upon` the boot entirely across the top and sides thereof forming a dust-proof and water-proof closure, and no tendency of the angular ends of the clip to wear through the cap is manifest.

In the application o'f this boot to a spring, a thick layer of grease is applied along the top side of the spring after the openings for the ends of the spring clip have been properly located. The piece of felt 23 is then laid over the clip, the felt extending from the clip at each side longitudinally of the spring a short distance, and extending also downwardly on each side of the spring (see Figures 2, 4 and 11). A quantity of grease is also applied directly to the boot at each end under the dams and flaps 13 and 14 only next the boot body before it is put over the spring. rlhis serves to press the inner folds of respective dams against the aps 13 and 14 whereby movement of grease outward between the-dams and these flaps is prevented thereafter. The boot is'then adjusted over the spring so that theeyeleted portions will stop just short of each other adjacent a rnedial line under the spring and the parts adjacent the openings 22 pressed down so that the felt covered clip ends protrude through the boot as in Figure 11. The flap 11 is laid as snugly as'possible against the spring, and the eyeleted sides drawn together by a suitable lace 27. rIhe lacing is so done that the ends of the boot are Vdrawn tightly around the spring compressing the dams but the intermediate part of the boot should not be tightened as much. In this position it will be noted that each dam has a part next the spring with an edge inward and lying against the spring. By reason of the grease initially applied under the dam, this said edge last named is pressed snugly against the spring (see Figure 6) and as grease is thereafter thrust toward the end of the spring, it enters with the initially applied grease and further compresses the dam upon the spring, adding further to the security of the closure, after the manner of a flap valve. Ingress of water or egress of lubricant next the spring or between the flap 13 or 14 and the dam is thus positively prevented in the one dam piece and engaged flap.

After secure lacing of the boot as described, the grease applied to the top of the spring may be manually worked toward the sides of the spring, by pressing upon the top of the boot with a lateral rolling motion. The lacing of the boot draws the sides thereof tightly against the lower edges of the lowermost leaves of the spring so as to prevent movement of grease to the under side of the spring, and should grease gain access to the under side, tendency of the grease to pass to the laced opening of the boot would be prevented by the loose ilap l2. This is pressed against the flap 1l so that grease will pass more readily between the flap 12 and body of the boot 'than between the two flaps and thereby check-valve action is performed by the flap induced by the grease itself, opposing escape of the grease. This is also true of the action at the dams as indicated previously.

It will be noted that the dams extend beside the spring, and in the thicker part of the spring the dam lits into the irregularities in contour of the spring. rll`he dams are not required on the under side of the spring by reason of the action of the boot in preventing passage of grease to the under side of the spring, but may extend there, if desired.

After lacing of the boot, the cap 25 is applied over the openings 22 and the protruding parts of the felt 23 thrust therethrough by the upwardly projecting ends of the clip. A short length of lace 28 is then used to secure the cap. The cap may, if desired, be put in place as the boot is laced, and the lace 27 additionally extended through the eyelets at the ends of the cap so as to hold it, the lacing continued from the cap to the remaining eyelets 15 in the direction in which the boot is being laced.

I claim:

l. A cap for clip-enclosing portions of boots of the character described comprising a blank of flexible sheet material having opposite longitudinal edge portions folded inward on parallel lines and in overlapped relation upon the body of the blank and the end portions only of the inturned portions secured to the body of the blank, and having the intermediate body portion thrust outwardly between the inturned portions to form a continuous seamless recessed cap for the purposes described.

2. In a boot of the character described, an inturned flap formed on the end edge of the boot, and a dam element including a flap extending from within the boot outward and having an inturned edge portion stopping in line with said first named flaps and adapted to lie against the surface of a spring confined ture.

ADNA F. BLANCHARD. 

